Apples Come from Kazakhstan

The expression "American as apple pie" occasionally appears when you wish to describe something as really American. Apples are often used to describe American history. Consider the story of Johnny Appleseed. However, if you go back far enough, you'll discover that apples aren't even particularly American. Over the years, they have traveled the world extensively, much like many other crops.

Kazakhstan is where apples really first appeared. The origin of all modern apples was discovered by Russian scientists to be a kind of crabapple named Malus sieversii that is native to the area. In Kazakhstan, apples were quite popular, and Alma Ata, the country's capital, means "full of apples."

Apple seeds had already spread throughout Europe by 1500 BC. They were raised by the Greeks, Romans, and Etruscans and were widely used in daily life. In the 16th century, French Jesuits transported apple seeds when they traveled to the New World. In 1620, trees were brought from England and planted all throughout Massachusetts. More than 90% of the farms in the state had apple orchards by 1644.